Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78511 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78511 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
For minutes, I stand like an idiot outside Aurora’s suite.
I hear her cry, but I can’t make out what’s being said.
What the hell happened?
When I left her bed, she looked fine.
There was an altercation in the warehouse, but I stood up for her against my best friend.
I bang on the door, wanting a goddamn answer.
When it swings open, Abbie’s glaring at me like I’m shit under her shoe. “Fuck off, Petrov.”
I slam my hand against the door, and with a shove, I force Abbie out of my way. My eyes lock on Aurora, who’s wiping tears from her face as she quickly turns her back to me.
“I deserve to know what happened,” I demand.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know,” Abbie snaps.
I turn a dark glare on the woman who’s pissing me off at the speed of light. “If you want to live to see another day, you’ll shut up.”
She’s just about to say something when Aurora darts between us. “I’ll deal with him. Give us a minute.”
“I’ll be in the bedroom. Yell if you need help kicking his ass,” Abbie mutters as she walks to the other room.
My eyes lock on Aurora, and seeing how upset she is, I’m at a total loss. “What happened? We were good when I left here.”
She takes a couple of steps away from me and crosses her arms over her chest. “I overheard your conversation with Alek.”
Her tone is ice cold, sending a shiver down my spine.
Aurora turns to face me, and there’s no warmth in her eyes. “You got caught up in the moment. It won’t happen again,” she throws my words back at me.
Lifting a hand to the back of my neck, I rub over the tense muscles. “We had this conversation.”
“Yeah, and then you took my virginity.” Her features tighten with anger. “At least you got laid, right?”
I stare at her for a long moment, and knowing there’s no way to fix this mess, my mind scrambles for a way we can be together.
“I need time,” I end up saying.
Aurora nods, and clearing her throat, she mutters, “Don’t expect me to wait around like a love-sick puppy.”
Closing the distance between us with four long strides, I grip her shoulders and lean down as I snap, “Can you fucking stop for one second and look at the shit we find ourselves in? The bratva will kill me, and fuck only knows what your father will do to you. If you can think of a way to get past them, then let me hear it.”
She sucks in a deep breath of air, and some of the anger fades from her eyes. “I know we’re in an impossible situation, but I just gave you my virginity. I had sex for the first time. I think I’m allowed to be an emotional mess.”
Right. Fuck.
I pull her against my chest and wrap my arms around her. “Then be an emotional mess in my arms.”
Aurora lets out a burst of laughter that quickly morphs into a sob. “I want to be with you, Misha.”
Christ, my heart.
“I want that, too,” I murmur. “I just need time to figure out if there’s a way without one of us getting killed.”
She nods, and pulling her arms from where they’re stuck between us, she wraps them around my waist.
I lower my head until my lips brush against her ear. “I love you. I know it’s not enough, but it’s all I have that’s mine to give. I love you.”
She holds me tighter and presses her face hard into my chest. “It’s enough.” Pulling back, she looks up at me. “It’s enough knowing I wasn’t just some conquest and that you really love me.”
I lift a hand to her face and cup her cheek. “You’re the only woman I’ll ever say those words to, moy malen'kiy olen'.” I let out a chuckle. “Well, including my sister and Alek’s mother. I mean, romantically, you’re the only one.”
A beautiful smile curves her lips. “I understand.”
“So we’re good?” I ask as I lower my head.
“Yes.”
I press a tender kiss to her mouth, then say, “If I can’t find a way for us to be together, don’t doubt my love for you. Keeping you alive is more important than getting to hold you.”
Her features tighten. “What if you’re given the order to kill me?”
There’s already a hit out on her life, but I can’t tell her that. Instead, I say, “One problem at a time.”
When I let her go, she asks, “So how do we do this? Are we just going to be friends?”
Fucking friends. I hate it.
“We’ll be civil toward each other. If we become friends, everyone will know something’s up.”
“Okay.” She gives me a quivering smile. “So you’re not allowed to bully me anymore.”
Letting out a chuckle, I say, “That wasn’t me bullying you. I just kept you at a distance.”